The DNA samples taken from a prisoner do not belong to the notorious “Facebook rapist”.
This is according to Police Minister Bheki Cele, who confirmed that an investigation was under way following reports that Thabo Bester, dubbed the Facebook rapist, was still alive.
Last year, the Department of Correctional Services confirmed that Bester had been found dead in his cell at the Mangaung Correctional Centre.
At the time, Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said there was a fire in Bester's single cell and he sustained burn wounds.
However, during a recent media briefing, Cele conceded that the DNA test did not confirm that the person found in the cell was the same person.
“So it might be correct to say that somebody is out there. That's why the police are investigating and trying to find that person,” Cele told the media.
In a recent statement, Singabakho said the investigation into Bester's death had not been concluded and the autopsy report had not been tabled before the department.
“The matter has become a subject of public interest and the department is pressing on the investigation team to conclude its work so that the findings could be made available,” he said.
Last week, IOL reported that Bester had been spotted in Sandton City.
It actually scared me yesterday that I met this man face to face. He came to my office and we had a good 20mins meeting.
— Dietician Palesa🍏 (@DietitianPalesa) March 17, 2023
Yes it’s a very safe space with good security and cameras everywhere but I had no idea who the guy was. It’s only when I saw this pic and was like where do I… https://t.co/b5v1nBhRaG pic.twitter.com/udbXCS6NTN
In a recent move, one of his alleged victims, Keabetswe Khutsoane, in a post on her Twitter page, said she had been sent pictures of someone who she believed was Bester shopping in Sandton with a woman and her children.
The photos were take in June 2022, two months after Bester was reported dead.
He was dubbed the Facebook rapist because of how he used the social media platform to lure his victims, normally girls in their teens, offering them modelling contracts, before he raped them.
IOL